Arrangement in contact-spring-sets

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to contact-spring-sets which are included in very quick switching operations. In order to avoid contact vibrations the two contact springs in a make-contact are pressed against one another with help of a two-armed lever pivoting so that the arms operate each one of the contact springs and press them together.

United States Patent [1 1 Brunberg [451 Sept. 16, 1975 1 ARRANGEMENT IN CONTACT-SPRlNG-SETS [75] lnventor: Karl Gunnar Brunberg, Huddinge,

Sweden [73] Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson,

Stockholm, Sweden [22] Filed: Apr. 3, 1974 [21 1 Appl. No.: 457,489

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Apr. 12, 1973 Sweden 73051799 [52] US. Cl. 267/160; 200/67 DB [51] Int. Cl. F16F 1/22 [58] Field of Search 267/159, 160, 158, 164;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,521,015 9/1950 McLaren et a1. 267/159 3,367,463 2/1968 Armstrong 267/159 Primary ExaminerJames B. Marbert Attorney, Agent, or Firml-lane, Baxley & Spiecens l 57 1 ABSTRACT The invention relates to contact-spring-sets which are included in very quick switching operations. In order to avoid contact vibrations the two contact springs in a make-contact are pressed against one another with help of a two-armed lever pivoting so that the arms operate each one of the contact springs and press them together.

7 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures ARRANGEMENT [N CONTACT-SPRlNG-SETS The present invention relates to contact-spring-sets, which are included in very quick switching operations. Contact-spring-sets for closure and break of circuits are included in a great number of control systems often in connection with electronic components. In very quick switching operations distinct closures and breaks are required. as every contact vibration can be understood as a control signal.

ln known constructions a group of fixed and a group of movable contact springs are arranged and every make-contact is composed of a fixed and a movable contact spring. If a movable contact violently strikes against a fixed contact spring this one can rebound and contact vibrations arise. The fixed contact spring must be made very rigid and by that expensive, if the vibrations shall be of no importance. Besides the movable contact must do rather large movements, if demands on large contact distances are required.

Very often contact-spring-sets are affected by electromagnets, the armature of which does irregular movements during the operate time dependent on variations in the spring load. The larger movement the armature must do the greater is the probability that these irregular movements cause a contact closure followed by a break and not until after that a lasting closure.

The invention intends to avoid above mentioned disadvantages by means of simple means according to the appended claims.

The invention will be described more in detail below with reference to the attached drawing, which shows the application to the invention.

FIG. 1 shows an electromagnetic relay with a contact-spring-set for two make-contacts according to the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a detail, which is included in the contact-spring-set.

In FIG. 1 the digit 7 designates the coil of an electromagnet mounted on a yoke 8, which also carries an armature 6 and a contact-spring-set. The contact-springset consists of a strip 9 of insulating material, which carries a guide bar and the contact springs 1a, 1b and a, 10b, respectively, for two make-contacts. Besides there are two bars 2 and 3 of insulating material and a link 4, the design of which is apparent from FIG. 2.

The link 4 is constructed as a double-armed lever, which is pivotal about a fulcrum in the form of a crosswise rib 4c situated between the bars 2 and 3. Each lever arm terminates in a notch 4a, 4b engaged with a notch in the corresponding bars 2 and 3, respectively, as it appears from FIG. 1.

The bars 2 and 3 extend through oblong holes in the contact springs la, lb, 10a, 10b and through slots in the guide bar 5. They are displaceable in their longitudinal direction and mount projections 2a, 2b and 3a, 3b, respectively. The bar 3 abuts the armature 6, which in turn abuts the yoke 8 by means of a stud 6a of nonmagnetic material. The contact springs la and 10a are biased upwardly and abut against the projections 2a, 2b and the contact springs lb and 10b are biased downwardly and abut against projections 3a, 3b. The bar 2 is thus pressed up against the link 4 and the rib 3 down against the armature 6.

When the armature 6 is attracted by the magnetic coil 7 the arm 3 and thus the contact springs lb and 10b and the right arm of the link 4 are raised. As fulcrum 4c of the link abuts against the guide bar 5 its left arm is pressed downwards. The bar 2 is displaced downwards and thus move the contact springs la and 10a downwards, so that the two make-contacts connect. As a result, all contact springs are restrained against rebound. The movement of the armature 6 is reduced by one-half and the risk of an unintentional break during a closing mode of operation for a contact is substantially eliminated.

We claim:

1. A make-and-break contact spring assembly comprising:

a pair of spring contacts mounted in parallel relationship, said spring contacts being flexible either into the break position or the make position and biased to occupy a predetermined one of said switching positions;

a pair of bars, each mounted for lengthwise displacement in either direction and coupled to one of said spring contacts for flexing the same from said selected position into the other position upon displacement of said bars relative to each other;

a two-arm lever, each arm of said lever being coupled to one of said bars for displacing the bars relative to each other in response to a pivotal movement of the lever, said lever being pivotally mounted between the two bars whereby upon pivoting of the lever the two bars are displaced in opposite direction, said displacement moving the spring contacts from said one position into said other position; and

drive means operatively coacting with one of said bars for displacing the same, said displacement of said one bar causing pivoting of the lever and said pivoting causing displacement of the other bar into a position in which both the spring contacts are flexed by said bars from said one switching position into the other switching position and are retained in said other position.

2. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein said predetermined switching portion is the break position and said other portion is the make position of the contact springs.

3. A make-and-break contact spring assembly comprising:

a pair of bars mounted lengthwise displaceable in either direction and parallel relationship;

a two-arm lever, each arm of said lever being coupled with one of said bars for lengthwise displacement of said bars in opposite direction in response to pivoting of the lever, said lever being pivotally mounted between said bars to effect said displacement in opposite direction upon pivoting of the lever;

a pair of spring contacts mounted in superimposed spaced apart relationship, said spring contacts being flexible either into a make position or a break position and biased to occupy a predetermined one of said two switching positions, each of said spring contacts being coupled to one of the bars, the bias of the spring contacts holding the bars in a lengthwise position relative to each other in which the spring contacts are in said predetermined switching position and lengthwise displacement of the bars against the bias of the spring contacts moving the latter toward the other one of said two switching positions; and

drive means coacting with one of said bars for displacing the same in one direction and holding it in the displaced position, said displacement of said one bar causing movement of therespective spring contact against the bias thereof towardthe other spring contact and also pivoting of the two-arm lever, said pivoting causing displacement of the other bar in opposite direction toward and into a position relative to said one bar in which the two bars hold the spring contacts in the other one of said two switching positions of the contact springs.

4. The assembly according to claim 3 wherein said one bar coacting with the drive means is in abutment with said drive means for limiting lengthwise displacement of said one bar by the bias of the respective spring contact, and wherein stop means limit lengthwise displacement of the other bar by the respective spring contact.

5. The assembly according to claim 4 wherein said stop means also constitutes an abutment for the pivot axis of said two-arm lever.

6. The assembly according to claim 3 wherein said drive means comprise a solenoid having an armature in the form of a pivotally mounted yoke, said one bar abutting against the yoke, energization of said solenoid causing pivotal movement of the yoke toward the solenoid core. said pivotal movement of the yoke causing displacement of said one arm into the position in which the contact springs are in said other switching position and retention of said one arm in said other switching position.

7. The assembly-according to claim 3 wherein each of the bars has on its side'facing the other bar a protrusion. said protrusions being lengthwise staggered relative to each other, each of the protrusions being in engagement with one of the spring contacts for effecting movement of the spring contacts toward and away from each other upon displacement of said one bar upon operation of the drive means. 

1. A make-and-break contact spring assembly comprising: a pair of spring contacts mounted in parallel relationship, said spring contacts being flexible either into the break position or the make position and biased to occupy a predetermined one of said switching positions; a pair of bars, each mounted for lengthwise displacement in either direction and coupled to one of said spring contacts for flexing the same from said selected position into the other position upon displacement of said bars relative to each other; a two-arm lever, each arm of said lever being coupled to one of said bars for displacing the bars relative to each other in response to a pivotal movement of the lever, said lever being pivotally mounted between the two bars whereby upon pivoting of the lever the two bars are displaced in opposite direction, said displacement moving the spring contacts from said one position into said other position; and drive means operatively coacting with one of said bars for displacing the same, said displacement of said one bar causing pivoting of the lever and said pivoting causing displacement of the other bar into a position in which both the spring contacts are flexed by said bars from said one switching position into the other switching position and are retained in said other position.
 2. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein said predetermined switching portion is the break position and said other portion is the make position of the contact springs.
 3. A make-and-break contact spring assembly comprising: a pair of bars mounted lengthwise displaceable in either direction and parallel relationship; a two-arm lever, each arm of said lever being coupled with one of said bars for lengthwise displacement of said bars in opposite direction in response to pivoting of the lever, said lever being pivotally mounted between said bars to effect said displacement in opposite direction upon pivoting of the lever; a pair of spring contacts mounted in superimposed spaced apart relationship, said spring contacts being flexible either into a make position or a break position and biased to occupy a predetermined one of said two switching positions, each of said spring contacts being coupled to one of the bars, the bias of the spring contacts holding the bars in a lengthwise position relative to each other in which the spring contacts are in said predetermined switching position and lengthwise displacement of the bars against the bias of the spring contacts moving the latter toward the other one of said two switching positions; and drive means coacting with one of said bars for displacing the same in one direction and holding it in the displaced position, said displacement of said one bar causing movement of the respective spring contact against the bias thereof toward the other spring contact and also pivoting of the two-arm lever, said pivoting causing displacement of the other bar in opposite direction toward and into a position relative to said one bar in which the two bars hold the spring contacts in the other one of said two switching positions of the contact springs.
 4. The assembly according to claim 3 wherein said one bar coacting with the drive means is in abutment with said drive means for limiting lengthwise displacement of said one bar by the bias of the respective spring contact, and wherein stop means limit lengthwise displacement of the other bar by the respective spring contact.
 5. The assembly according to claim 4 wherein said stop means also constitutes an abutment for the pivot axis of said two-arm lever.
 6. The assembly according to claim 3 wherein said drive means comprise a solenoid having an armature in the form of a pivotally mounted yoke, said one bar abutting against the yoke, energization of said solenoid causing pivotal movement of the yoke toward the solenoid core, said pivotal movement of the yoke causing displacement of said one arm into the position in which the contact springs are in said other switching position and retention of said one arm in said other switching position.
 7. The assembly according to claim 3 wherein each of the bars has on its side facing the other bar a protrusion, said protrusions being lengthwise staggered relative to each other, each of the protrusions being in engagement with one of the spring contacts for effecting movement of the spring contacts toward and away from each other upon displacement of said one bar upon operation of the drive means. 